Fabry -perot optical switch having a saturable absorber

ABSTRACT

A Fabry-Perot optical switch includes a saturable absorber surrounded by a pair of mirrors. Coupled to the saturable absorber is an input waveguide, an output waveguide, and a control beam waveguide. In the absence of light input to the control beam waveguide, the saturable absorber prevents an input signal on the input waveguide from passing through and being output on the output waveguide, thus placing the switch in an “off” state. In the presence of light input to the control beam waveguide and incident on the saturable absorber, the saturable absorber allows the input signal to pass through and be output on the output waveguide, or be reflected and output on the output waveguide, thus placing the switch in an “on” state.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/737,470, filed on Dec. 18, 2000 and entitled “Optical Switch Having a Saturable Absorber”.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention is directed to optical communications. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an optical switch for an optical network.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0003] The enormous increase in data traffic, largely due to the growth in Internet traffic, has spurred rapid growth in broadband communication technologies. Fiber optics, which offers the largest bandwidth of any communication system, is the medium of choice for carrying the multitude of data now being sent through networks. While fiber can theoretically carry over 50 terabits per second, current optical communication systems are limited to 10 gigabits per second due to the limitations of the switching nodes.

[0004] Switching nodes consist of systems dedicated to switching the optical signals between lines as well as providing other signal processing functions, such as amplification and signal regeneration. Switching nodes include components such as optical switches, add/drop multiplexers, channel converters, routers, etc.

[0005] Prior art “optical” switches used in switching nodes are typically not entirely optical and therefore operate relatively slowly and have limited bandwidth. One type of known prior art switch is an opto-mechanical switch. Opto-mechanical switches use moving (e.g., rotating or alternating) mirrors, prisms, holographic gratings, or other devices to deflect light beams. The mechanical action may involve motors, or piezoelectric elements may be used for fast mechanical action. For example, Lucent Corporation and other companies have introduced a type of opto-mechanical switch referred to as a micro-electro-mechanical switch (“MEMS”). MEMS consist of arrays of actuated micro-mirrors etched onto a silicon chip in a similar manner to that of electrical integrated circuits. The mirrors change angle based upon an electrical signal and route an incident optical signal to one of many output fibers.

[0006] Another example of an opto-mechanical switch is a device from Agilent Technologies that steers optical signals through the controlled formation of gas bubbles within a liquid waveguide. A bubble is formed at the junction of one input and several output waveguides. The bubble will reflect an optical signal down one output while a lack of bubble will allow the signal to propagate through another waveguide.

[0007] A major limitation of opto-mechanical switches is low switching speeds. Typical switching times are in the millisecond range. The advantages of opto-mechanical switches are low insertion loss and low cross-talk.

[0008] Other prior art devices use electro-optic materials which alter their refractive indices in the presence of an electric field. They may be used as electrically controlled phase modulators or phase retarders. When placed in one arm of an interferometer, such as a Mach-Zender interferometer, or between two crossed polarizers, the electro-optic cell serves as an electrically controlled light modulator or a 1×1 (on-off) switch. The most prevalent technology for electro-optic switching is integrated optics since it is difficult to make large arrays of switches using bulk crystals. Integrated-optic waveguides are fabricated using electro-optic dielectric substrates, such as Lithium Niobate (“LiNBO₃”), with strips of slightly higher refractive index at the locations of the waveguides, created by diffusing titanium into the substrate. The major drawbacks of Lithium Niobate technology is the high expense of the material and difficulty in creating low loss waveguides within it.

[0009] Liquid crystals provide another technology that can be used to make electrically controlled optical switches. A large array of electrodes placed on a single liquid-crystal panel serves as a spatial light modulator or a set of 1×1 switches. The main limitation is the relatively low switching speed.

[0010] Other prior art optical devices include acousto-optic switches which use the property of Bragg deflection of light by sound. An acoustic wave propagating along a dielectric surface alternatively puts the material in compression and tension. Thus, the acoustic pressure wave periodically alters the refractive index. The change in the refractive index is determined by the power of the acoustic wave, while the period of the refractive index change is a function of the frequency of the acoustic wave. Light coupled with the periodically alternating refractive index is deflected. A switching device can be constructed where the acoustic wave controls whether or not the light beam is deflected into an output waveguide.

[0011] Some prior art optical devices use magneto-optic materials that alter their optical properties under the influence of a magnetic field. Materials exhibiting the Faraday effect, for example, act as polarization rotators in the presence of a magnetic flux density B. The rotary power ρ (angle per unit length) is proportional to the component B in the direction of propagation. When the material is placed between two crossed polarizers, the optical power transmission T=sin²Θ is dependent on the polarization rotation angle Θ=ρd where d is the thickness of the cell. The device is used as a 1×1 switch controlled by the magnetic field.

[0012] Finally, prior art optical devices do exist that can be considered “all-optical” or “optic-optic” switches. In an all-optical switch, light controls light with the help of a nonlinear optical material. They operate using non-linear optical properties of certain materials when exposed to high intensity light beams (i.e., a slight change in index under high intensities).

[0013]FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art all-optical switch 20 that uses an interferometer. Switch 20 includes material 14 that exhibits the optical Kerr effect (the variation of the refractive index with the applied light intensity) which is placed in one leg of a Mach-Zender interferometer. An input signal 10 is controlled by a control light 16. As control light 16 is turned on and off, transmittance switch 20 at output 12 is switched between “1” and “0” because the optical phase modulation in Kerr medium 14 is converted into intensity modulation.

[0014]FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art all-optical switch 30 that uses an optical loop. Switch 30 is a non-linear optical loop mirror (“NOLM”) that includes a fused fiber coupler (splitter) 34 with two of its arms connected to an unbroken loop of fiber 32. A signal arriving at the input 36 to coupler 34 is split and sent both ways around fiber loop 32. One of the lengths of loop 32 contains a Kerr medium. The Kerr medium is pumped via another high intensity control beam that alters the refractive index of the material and thus slightly changes the speed at which the signal beam propagates through. When the two signal beams recombine at the other end of loop 32 interference effects determine the amplitude of the output 38. Although a NOLM operates at high speeds (tens of picoseconds), it requires long lengths of fibers and is not readily integratable.

[0015] The retardation between two polarizations in an anisotropic non-linear medium has also been used for switching by placing the material between two crossed polarizers. FIG. 3 illustrates a prior art all-optical switch 30 using an anisotropic optical fiber 42 that exhibits the optical Kerr effect. In the presence of a control light 43, fiber 42 introduces a phase retardation π, so that the polarization of the linearly polarized input light 45 rotates 90° and is transmitted at output 46 by an output polarizer 48. In the presence of control light 43, fiber 42 introduces no retardation and polarizer 48 blocks input light 45. A filter 44 is used to transmit input light 45 and block control light 43, which has a different wavelength.

[0016]FIG. 4 illustrates another prior art all-optical device 50 that uses liquid-crystal. Device 50 includes an array of switches as part of an optically addressed liquid-crystal spatial light modulator 52. A control light 54 alters the electric field applied to the liquidcrystal layer and therefore alters its reflectance. Different points on the liquid-crystal surface have different reflectances and act as independent switches controlled by input light beams 58 and output as output light beams 56. Device 50 can accommodate a large number of switches, but is relatively slow.

[0017] Still another all-optical switch is based on an optically pumped Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (“SOA”). A SOA is a laser gain medium without a resonator cavity. A SOA-based switch operates similar to the NOLM in that it operates on interference between laser beams. Like the NOLM, SOA-based devices have significant loss and require high operating power. They also suffer other non-linear effects including frequency addition, which has the effect of switching the data to a different wavelength channel. These detriments have prevented SOAs from being commercially viable.

[0018] Based on the foregoing, there is a need for an all-optical switch having low power requirements and fast switching speeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0019] One embodiment of the present invention is a Fabry-Perot optical switch that includes a saturable absorber surrounded by a pair of mirrors. Coupled to the saturable absorber is an input waveguide, an output waveguide, and a control beam waveguide.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020]FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art all-optical switch that uses an interferometer.

[0021]FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art all-optical switch that uses an optical loop.

[0022]FIG. 3 illustrates a prior art all-optical switch using an anisotropic optical fiber that exhibits the optical Kerr effect.

[0023]FIG. 4 illustrates a prior art all-optical device that uses liquid-crystal.

[0024]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an optical switch in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025]FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating the normalized power vs. the absorption coefficient of one embodiment of a saturable absorber material.

[0026]FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the relationship between front mirror reflectivity (“M1”) and rear mirror reflectively (“M2”) and absorption coefficient of a cavity absorber vs. the absorption of a switching device in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027]FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a reflective based Fabry-Perot optical switch in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a Fabry-Perot switch that is fabricated on a substrate.

[0029]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a Fabry-Perot switch in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

[0030]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a Fabry-Perot switch in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

[0031]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a counter-propagating Fabry-Perot switch that includes a circulator and an input/output waveguide in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

[0032]FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a switch in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

[0033]FIG. 14 is a sectional view of a switch in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

[0034]FIG. 15 is a graph illustrating the effect of multiple cavities on the device reflectivity.

[0035]FIG. 16 is sectional view of a normally “off” transmission Fabry-Perot switch in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036]FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a Fabry-Perot switch in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] One embodiment of the present invention is an optical switch that includes a saturable absorber that functions as an active region. The switch has an optical input and output, and is controlled by an optical control signal.

[0038]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an optical switch 60 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Switch 60 includes a slab of saturable absorber material (“SA material”) 67 formed on a substrate 62. Coupled to SA material 67, and also formed on substrate 62, is an input waveguide 68, a control beam waveguide 64 and an output waveguide 63. In operation, an optical input signal 69 is input to input waveguide 68. In an “off” state no control signal is input to control waveguide 64, and therefore no control beam is incident upon SA material 67. In this state, SA material 67 is highly absorbing and input signal 69 is not output on output waveguide 63. In an “on” state a control beam 66 is input to control waveguide 64. Control beam 66 is a high intensity beam which when incident on SA material 67, causes SA material 67 to become more transparent. This allows input signal 69 to be output on output waveguide 63 as an output signal 65.

[0039] In general, a saturable absorber such as SA material 67 is a material that displays a reduction in the absorption coefficient at the operational wavelength with increased incident light intensity. The behavior of such a material can be modeled as a two state system, i.e., a system possessing two quantum states of different energies that an electron can exist in. In the natural state of the material, one in which no light is incident upon the material, all electrons lie in the lower energy state. An incident photon having a wavelength (hence energy) that corresponds to the energy difference between the quantum states will be absorbed if it excites an electron from the lower energy level to the upper energy level.

[0040] An electron in the upper state will drop back to the lower energy level in one of two ways. It can (1) spontaneously drop back and release energy as heat (referred to as “nonradiative recombination”) or as a photon of the same wavelength that originally excited it (referred to as “spontaneous radiative recombination” or “spontaneous emission”) or (2) interact with another photon, having the wavelength corresponding to the energy difference between quantum states, that forces the electron down to the lower energy level by the release of two photons (referred to as “spontaneous emission”). The average time the electron remains in the upper level (assuming the drop from the upper state to the lower state is by spontaneous recombination) is given by the relaxation constant (τ).

[0041] At low light intensities there is a much higher probability of an electron being excited to an upper energy level than an electron being forced down to the lower energy level because at low light intensities very few electrons exist in the upper state. At higher light intensities a higher fraction of the electrons build up in the upper state. Because more electrons exist in the upper state there is a larger probability of an electron being forced to a lower energy level. At the limit (extremely high light intensities) an equal number of electrons exist in the upper state as in the lower state. At this point there is an equal probability of an electron in the lower energy levels jumping to the upper energy level (absorbing a photon) as an electron in the upper energy level interacting with a photon and dropping to the lower energy level releasing two photons. If both processes are considered there is no net reduction of the number of photons. Hence, the absorption falls to zero.

[0042] A saturable absorber such as SA material 67 differs from, for example, a non-linear material. As discussed, a saturable absorber involves the transitions of electrons between quantum states. In contrast, non-linear materials, instead of relying on transitions, involve the non-linear reaction due to the electric field of the photons at high photon fluxes (i.e., high light intensity). This reaction is called the electric polarization (P). Because a saturable absorber requires a transition between states, it is highly selective as to which wavelength it can operate in (i.e., only wavelengths that correspond to an electronic transition can saturate a saturable absorber).

[0043] In one embodiment, input signal 69 carries information and is generally a relatively less intense beam. Control beam 66 is generally a relatively more intense beam that has enough power to alter the absorption of SA material 67, thus allowing input signal 69 to either transmit or not transmit through the output of switch 60.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, both input signal 69 and control beam 66 are at the same wavelength and have the same polarizations. However, the two beams must be distinguished by propagation direction (i.e., both the signal and control beams cannot both end up propagating down the same output). Therefore in this embodiment, input signal 69 and control beam 66 intersects at SA material 67 in a perpendicular direction or in a counter-propagating direction.

[0045] SA material 67 has a relatively high absorption in the “off” state and a relatively low absorption in the “on” state. For example, in one embodiment, SA material 67 has an isolation of approximately 20 dB (i.e., the power transmitted in the “on” state is 100 times greater than in the “off” state) and an insertion loss of less than approximately 1 dB (i.e., the optical signal loses less than 20% of its power as it travels through switch 60). In this embodiment, switch 60 should be between 80% and 90% transmitting in the “on” state and between 0.08% and 0.09% transmitting in the “off” state, because the power required to attain transparencies higher than 90% increases dramatically.

[0046] The applicable equation for determining the absorption requirements for SA material 67 is as follows:

I_(out)=I_(in)e^(−ad)

[0047] Where α is the absorption coefficient and d is the length of SA material 67. In an embodiment where SA material 67 has a length of 10 microns, an absorption coefficient of approximately 4700 cm⁻¹ is required for the “off” state (0.9% transmitting) and 100 cm⁻¹ for the “on” state (90% transmitting). FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating the normalized power vs. the absorption coefficient of one embodiment of SA material 67.

[0048] The intensity of control beam 66 required for the change from an “on” to “off” state is dependent upon the saturable absorber properties of SA material 67, especially the optical cross section of SA material 67. Typical intensities of control beam 66 in one embodiment range from as high as 90×10⁶ W/cm² to as low as 100×10³ W/cm². The actual power required by switch 60 is then determined from the intensity times the cross sectional area of SA material 67. A SA material with a cross sectional area of 1 square micron would require between 900 milliwatt and 1 milliwatt of power.

[0049] The speed of switch 60 is limited by the rate at which SA material 67 can reach transparency upon illumination and then decay back to its absorbing state when control beam 66 is turned off. In some embodiments, this rate can range from approximately 100 femtoseconds to 100 picoseconds.

[0050] One embodiment of SA material 67 is a composite material containing semiconductor nanocrystals (referred to as “quantum dots”) contained in a glass or silicon matrix. Quantum dots interspersed within a matrix material offer an opportunity for an ideal saturable absorber for multiple reasons. For one, the quantum states of the quantum dots can be engineered to correspond to any wavelength simply by altering their size. Further, the density of quantum states (i.e., the number of electrons per unit volume that are able to jump from one quantum state to another) are much lower than in bulk semiconductor materials. Therefore, a lower intensity incident light beam is required for it to saturate. Further, quantum dots eliminate slower excitations that occur at high light intensities such as a two photon absorption that exists in bulk semiconductors. Therefore, the use of quantum dots enables a fast, low power (low intensity), and tunable saturable absorber.

[0051] In one embodiment, the quantum dots are comprised of Lead Sulfide (PbS) or Lead Selenide and are approximately 5 nanometers in diameter. In a further embodiment, the quantum dots are 5.7 nanometers in diameter. This size of the dots results in a large change of absorption with intensity while maintaining fast switching speed. The intensity of light required to saturate SA material 67 depends on the size and composition of the dots, as characterized by the optical cross section of SA material 67. The concentration of dots determines how thick a slab of material (quantum dots in glass) is required to produce a given change in intensity of the signal. In one embodiment, a thickness of 0.1 cm is required to arrive at a 20 dB signal change (assuming 50% saturation). Increasing the dot density allows the same change with a thinner device. The absorption length (α₀ ⁻¹) is related to the optical cross section (σ₀)and the number density (dots per volume) of dots N_(d) by:

α₀=N_(d)σ₀

[0052] A limitation exists to the concentration of dots within the matrix material because it is not possible to pack dots any closer than when they are touching. The densest packing configuration is the face-centered cubic (“FCC”) lattice which has a packing density of 0.7.

[0053] In one embodiment, the quantum dots are produced in a glass matrix. The glass matrix material is beneficial for two reasons: (1) it is transparent to the light which is to be absorbed by the dots thus allowing the signal to be transmitted when switch 60 is in the “on” mode; and (2) the glass, having a much larger band gap than the quantum dot material, acts to confine the electron-hole pairs. This quantum confinement allows the requisite absorption spectrum to be obtained. In other embodiments, the matrix material is a plastic, or a semiconductor that is transparent to the operational wavelengths. Other possible matrix materials include Silicate, Borosilicate, and Phosphosilicate glasses, Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), Acrylic, polyamine polymers, and semiconductors including Silicon, Silicon Carbide, Cadmium Sulphide, Cadmiun Selenide, Cadmium Telluride, Zinc Sulphide, Aluminum Arsenide, Aluminum Phosphide, Gallium Arsenide.

[0054] In one embodiment, cladding is added to the quantum dots. The purpose of the cladding is to greatly increase the optical cross-section of the core semiconductor quantum dot, thus decreasing the optical power required for saturation as well as decreasing the relaxation time. An electrically conducting cladding material (like a metal) locally increases the light intensity within the core semiconductor, thus enhancing the absorption cross section. A semiconductor cladding material acts as a surface passivating agent and reduces the number of trapped states, which increases the absorption cross section.

[0055] The band-gap energy of the cladding material is wider than the band-gap of the core semiconductor. In one embodiment, switch 60 has an operational wavelength of 1500 nm (0.827 eV). In this embodiment, suitable semiconductor cladding materials include Silicon (Si), Silicon Carbide (SiC), Cadmium Sulfide (CdS), Cadmium Selenide (CdSe), Zinc Sulfide (ZnS), Zinc Selenide (ZnSe), Zinc Telluride (ZnTe), AlAs, AIP, AlSb, GaAs and InP. In addition, other materials that include metals such as Ag, Au and Al are appropriate for use as cladding materials.

[0056] The thickness of the cladding coating determines the enhancement of the absorption coefficient of the quantum dot material. The parameter describing the coating thickness is the ratio of the core radius to the shell radius (“arat”). Typical values of arat are between 0.7 and 0.85. Thus for core radii between 2.5 nm and 5.0 nm (appropriate for PbS), a shell thickness between 0.5 nm and 2.5 nm gives the desired enhancement. In one embodiment, the quantum dots are manufactured using a thermal precipitation process that involves dissolving some amount of semiconductor material in a molten glass. The melt is controllably cooled until the quantum dots begin to precipitate out in the form of nano-crystals. A method for manufacturing quantum dots using a thermal precipitation process is disclosed in, for example, P. T. Guerreiro et al., “PbS Quantum-Dot Doped Glasses as Saturable Absorbers for Mode Locking of a Cr:Forsterite Laser”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 71 (12), Sep. 22, 1997 at 1595.

[0057] In another embodiment, SA material 67 is manufactured using a colloidal growth process that involves growing nano-crystal quantum dots in a solution. Specifically, semiconductor precursors are introduced into a heated surfactant solution. The precursors crack in the solution and the semiconductors combine to form the nanocrystals. The quantum dots can then be removed from the solution and combined with a powdered glass solution. The powdered glass, referred to as a “sol-gel” can be shaped into a variety of forms. The sol-gel can be sintered into a large block, drawn and sintered into a fiber, or spun on a substrate and sintered to form a thin film. A method for manufacturing quantum dots using a colloidal growth process is disclosed in, for example: (1) U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,928, entitled “Preparation of III-V Semiconductor Nanocrystals”; (2) Nozik et al., “Colloidal Quantum Dots of III-V Semiconductors”, MRS Bulletin, February 1998 at 24; and (3) Hao et al., “Synthesis and Optical Properties of CdSe and CdSe/CdS Nanoparticles”, Chem. Mater. 1999, 11 at 3096.

[0058] In one embodiment, substrate 62 of switch 60 is made of semiconductor or glass and is less than 1 mm thick. Waveguides 63, 64 and 68 of switch 60 in accordance with one embodiment are in the form of optical dielectric waveguides consisting of transparent glass, polymer, or semiconductor materials transparent to the wavelength at which switch 60 is operating at (i.e., the semiconductor band-gap is greater than the energy of the operation wavelength photon energies).

[0059] The waveguides may be in the form of integrated ridge or buried type waveguides or integrated waveguides based upon photonic crystals. In the ridge and buried waveguides embodiments, the guiding conditions dictate that the waveguide material have a higher dielectric constant (i.e., higher index of refraction n) than the cladding material index. In other embodiments, the waveguide may be of the form of an optical fiber. In one embodiment, the cross sectional areas of the waveguide are of the size to support a guided wave at the operational wavelength. In various embodiments, the dimensions of the waveguides are between 0.5 micron and 10 microns in diameter depending on the waveguide material, operational wavelength, and number of modes that are transmitted through the waveguide. The input waveguide should have the same cross sectional dimensions as the output waveguide.

[0060] Specific waveguide materials include but are not restricted to Silicate, Borosilicate, and Phosphosilicate glasses, Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), Acrylic, polyamine polymers, and semiconductors including Silicon, Silicon Carbide, Cadmiun Sulphide, Cadmiun Selenide, Cadmium Telluride, Zinc Sulphide, Aluminum Arsenide, Aluminum Phosphide, Gallium Arsenide. In most embodiments, the probable semiconductor to be used as a waveguide is silicon or gallium arsenide. The reason that the above materials are transparent is that the bandgap energy is greater than that of the energy of the incident photons.

[0061] In another embodiment of the present invention, an optical switch includes a Fabry-Perot resonator in which a resonator cavity is formed by placing the saturable absorber material within a mirrored cavity. The dimensions of the cavity are such that it is resonant with the operational wavelength (i.e., 1500 nm). The cavity-based switch can be used in a transparent mode in which the optical transmission is altered from a low value (between 0.08% and 0.09%) in the “off” state to a higher value (between 80% and 90%) in the “on” state. The switch can also be configured in a reflective mode in which the reflectivity of the device is at a low value in the “off” state (between 0.08% and 0.09% reflective) and is a high value in the “on” state (between 80% and 90% reflective). These values are chosen because of standard requirements that the insertion loss (i.e., the power loss of the inputted data signal in the “on” state) be less than 1 dB (greater than approximately 80%). In addition, the isolation (i.e., the difference between the “on” and “off” states) should be at least 20 dB (the “on” state has 100 times the output power of the “off” state).

[0062] In the Fabry-Perot embodiments, the saturable absorber material, where absorption occurs, is placed between two parallel mirror structures forming the Fabry-Perot cavity for the data containing optical signal. Another microcavity may be formed for the control optical pulses to enhance the absorption of the control beam.

[0063] The use of the Fabry-Perot cavity device architecture greatly enhances the non-linear absorption effects of the saturable absorber material. In effect, less of a change in the absorption coefficient is required for the same levels of the “on” and “off” states. Control over the performance characteristics of the device are governed by the reflectivity of both the front and rear mirrors as well as the absorption of the saturable absorbing material in the “off” state (i.e., when there is no control light incident upon the material).

[0064] The reflectivity of the mirrors in the Fabry-Perot switch is designed to enable the maximum change in either reflection or transmission, depending on the device design. FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the relationship between front mirror reflectivity (“M1”) and rear mirror reflectivity (“M2”) and absorption coefficient of the cavity absorber vs. the absorption of the switching device. This shows how the reflectivity of a reflection based Fabry-Perot device changes as the absorption coefficient of the saturable absorber is reduced upon illumination by the control beam.

[0065] The Fabry-Perot devices can be configured in either a normally “off” mode, in which the device either transmits or reflects the signal optical pulse only when the control optical pulse is incident upon the device, or in the normally “on” mode, in which the optical signal pulse is transmitted or reflected only when there is no control optical signal incident upon the device. The latter configuration performs the logical invert function.

[0066] Normally “Off” Reflectivity Based Configuration

[0067] The normally “off” reflective based Fabry-Perot device operates by absorbing the optical data pulse when there is no control optical signal simultaneously incident upon the active region (the “off” state). When there is a control beam simultaneously incident upon the active region (the “on” state) the absorption coefficient of the active material is greatly reduced and the data signal is reflected off the front surface of the device into the output.

[0068]FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a reflective based Fabry-Perot optical switch 200 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Switch 200 includes saturable absorber material 205 between a front mirror 206 and a rear mirror 207. A control beam 203 and an optical input signal 201 results in a switched optical output signal 202.

[0069] In another embodiment, the Fabry-Perot switch is fabricated on a substrate via conventional thin film processing techniques. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a Fabry-Perot switch 250 that is fabricated on a substrate 215. Switch 250 includes a control beam waveguide 203, input signal waveguide 210 and output signal waveguide 211. As in switch 200 of FIG. 8, saturable absorber 205 is placed between front mirror 206 and rear mirror 207. The waveguides may be composed of dielectric glass, polymer, or high bandgap semiconductor optical fiber (i.e., a semiconductor with a bandgap greater than that of the operational wavelength making it transparent), or ridge, buried or photonic crystal based waveguides composed of glass, polymers, or high bandgap semiconductors.

[0070]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a Fabry-Perot switch 260 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In switch 260, control beam signal 203 is delivered to saturable absorber 205 via an optical fiber 220. Optical fiber 220 is perpendicular to the plane of substrate 215.

[0071]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a Fabry-Perot switch 270 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In switch 270, input signal 201 and output signal 202 propagate along optical fibers 222 and 223, respectively. Optical fibers 222 and 223 are perpendicular to the plane of substrate 215.

[0072] The input and output data streams of the Fabry-Perot switch in accordance with the present invention are either at some angle less than 180° from one another (such as with switches 250, 260 and 270 of FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, respectively) or counter-propagating (i.e., the input and output are in the same waveguide but propagate in different directions). In the counter-propagating embodiment, the input and output data signals are separated via an optical isolating device such as a circulator. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a counter-propagating Fabry-Perot switch 280 that includes a circulator 230 and an input/output waveguide 232.

[0073]FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a switch 290 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Switch 290 includes an additional set of mirrors 261 and 262 that are perpendicular to the propagation direction of control beam 203. Mirrors 261 and 262 form another Fabry-Perot cavity that acts to enhance the absorption of control beam 203.

[0074]FIG. 14 is a sectional view of a switch 295 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Switch 295 includes an optical amplifier 292 that amplifiers control beam 203 and generates an amplified control beam 291.

[0075] The active region in the normally “off” configuration switches described above is designed so that the saturable absorber material is placed between two mirrors perpendicular to the propagation direction of the optical data stream, or at an angle to the perpendicular to the propagation direction of the data. In one embodiment, the rear mirror has a reflectivity of 1 so that none of the optical data stream is transmitted through it. The front mirror has a reflectivity between 0 and 1. In general, the higher the front mirror reflectivity the lower the absorption required for the saturable absorber material when no control light is applied. As previously shown in FIG. 7, the reflected optical power for any device having a front mirror reflectivity greater than 0 has a minimum point. For very high absorption coefficients of the saturable absorber material, the reflection off the device approaches that of the front mirror reflectivity and for very low absorption coefficients the reflected power approaches unity. The mirrors themselves can be made of dielectric thin films, thin metal layers or scattering elements in an integrated form acting as a mirror.

[0076] The Fabry-Perot switches operate with low field absorption coefficient of the saturable absorber material (i.e., low field absorption coefficient is the absorption coefficient of the saturable absorber material with no control light incident upon it) at or near the minimum of the reflected power vs. the absorption coefficient curve when there is no control beam incident upon the device. When the control beam is applied to the device, the absorption coefficient is reduced and the percentage of the data beam reflected off the device is increased. In one embodiment, a Fabry-Perot switch having a front mirror reflectivity of 0.95 operates with an absorption coefficient of the saturable absorber material of approximately 200 cm⁻¹ in the “off” state and an absorption coefficient of 10 cm⁻¹ in the “on” state.

[0077] In one embodiment, the response of the Fabry-Perot switch is enhanced through the addition of several cavities in a row. Specifically the reflected output data beam from the first cavity becomes the input data beam for the next cavity. FIG. 15 is a graph illustrating the effect of multiple cavities on the device reflectivity.

[0078] Normally “On” Reflectivity Based Configuration

[0079] One embodiment of the present invention is a normally “on” Fabry-Perot based saturable absorber all-optical switch that reflects the optical signal beam off the front mirror when there is no control beam simultaneously incident upon the active region, and absorbs the optical data signal beam when there is an optical control beam incident upon the active region. This embodiment is nearly identical to that of the normally “off” switches described above except that the absorption coefficient of the saturable absorber material relative to the minimum reflected power is opposite that of the “normally off” device. For example the low field absorption (i.e., no control beam incident upon the active region) of the saturable absorber material for a front mirror reflectivity of 0.95 is 10000 cm⁻¹ corresponding to a reflectivity of 0.9. When the control beam is incident upon the active region the absorption coefficient is lowered and the reflectivity is subsequently reduced. If the absorption coefficient is reduced to approximately 200 cm⁻¹ the reflectivity is reduced to approximately 0.009.

[0080] Normally “Off” Transmission Based Configuration

[0081] One embodiment of the present invention is a normally “off” transmission based Fabry-Perot switch that operates by altering the transparency of the cavity using a change in the absorption coefficient of the saturable absorber material within the cavity. When a high intensity control beam is incident upon the saturable absorbing material the absorption coefficient is decreased. The decreased absorption coefficient has the effect of making the Fabry-Perot device more transparent.

[0082]FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a normally “off” transmission Fabry-Perot switch in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Switch 300 includes a saturable absorber material 320 placed between two parallel mirrors 310 and 312 having a reflectivity greater than 0 and less than 1. Mirrors 310 and 312 can be comprised of dielectric thin films, Bragg type reflectors, or thin metal films. Switch 300 also includes an input waveguide 301, output waveguide 302 and control beam waveguide 308 that carry signals 305-307, respectively. Typically the best results, or the greatest change in the transmission and an insertion loss less than 1 dB for the “on” state, occur when both the front and rear mirrors have the same reflectivity. In one embodiment, the thickness of saturable absorber material 320 (forming the cavity) is designed so that the device is resonant at the operational wavelength. The actual thickness is dependent upon the index of refraction of the material, but is in the range of 0.5-20 micrometers.

[0083] As with the previously described Fabry-Perot switches, switch 300 can also include another set of control beam mirrors 314 and 316 perpendicular to the propagation direction of the control beam, forming another Fabry-Perot cavity that acts to enhance the absorption of the control beam. In addition, switch 300 can be fabricated on a substrate using conventional thin film growth techniques. The mirrors may be grown either perpendicular to the substrate or parallel to it. In the former embodiment, both the input and output waveguides are in the plane of the substrate, and the control beam may also be in the plane of the substrate and perpendicular to the input/output waveguides, or out of the plane of the substrate, delivered to the active region of the switch via an optical fiber. In the latter embodiment, where the mirrors are grown parallel to the plane of the substrate, the input signal is delivered perpendicular to the plane of the substrate via an optical fiber and the output signal is on the opposite side of the substrate, which is transparent to the optical data signal. The control beam in this embodiment is delivered via optical waveguide in the plane.

[0084] Fabry-Perot Cross-Connect Switch

[0085]FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a Fabry-Perot switch in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Switch 400 is an all-optical cross connect switch (i.e., a 1×2 switch where the input optical signal is switched to one of two outputs) that is fabricated using a Fabry-Perot microcavity, formed with a front mirror 402, a rear mirror 403 and a saturable absorber material 400. In this architecture a Fabry-Perot microcavity is placed at the intersection of an input optical waveguide 405 and two output optical waveguides 407 and 408, all of which are in the same plane. Output optical waveguide 408 is placed opposite to input optical waveguide 405. Output optical waveguide 407 is placed at an angle from input optical waveguide 405. The angle between input waveguide 405 and output waveguide 407 is substantially equal to twice the angle of input waveguide 405 with the perpendicular of front mirror 402 of the microcavity.

[0086] When saturable absorber material 401 is not exposed to a high intensity optical control beam in control beam waveguide 410, it is highly absorbing and therefore the Fabry-Perot microcavity is highly reflecting. In this case, the optical signal input is reflected off the device and into output 407. However, when saturable absorber material 401 is illuminated with the high intensity optical control beam, the absorption is increased causing the transparency of the device to be increased as well (the reflectivity is decreased). In this situation the optical input signal is no longer reflected into output 407 but instead transmitted through the device into output 408. As in the previous described devices, switch 400 can be formed on a substrate, and the input, output and control beam waveguides can be formed with optical fiber.

[0087] Several embodiments of the present invention are specifically illustrated and/or described herein. However, it will be appreciated that modifications and variations of the present invention are covered by the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention.

[0088] For example, although a relatively simple on-off optical switch has been described, the switch can function as a transistor, and can form the basis for more complex optical logic and computing circuitry. In turn, the logic circuitry can be used to accomplish higher-level communications protocols including optical time domain multiplexing and optical packet switching that are currently unattainable with known technologies. In addition, the all-optical switch in accordance with the present invention could form the basis for optical Read Only Memories (“ROM”s) and Programmable Read Only Memories (“PROM”s) and combinatorial and synchronous circuits including adding circuitry, flip-flops, counters, and registers. Therefore, a computer system can include, for example, a processor formed from the optical switches, and memory formed from the optical switches. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A Fabry-Perot optical switch comprising: a saturable absorber; a front mirror coupled to said saturable absorber; a rear mirror coupled to said saturable absorber; an input waveguide coupled to said saturable absorber; an output waveguide coupled to said saturable absorber; and a control beam waveguide coupled to said saturable absorber.
 2. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 1, wherein said saturable absorber comprises a plurality of electrons having a first and a second state, and wherein said electrons are in said first state when substantially no light is input to said control beam waveguide, and a portion of said electrons are in said second state when light is input to said control beam waveguide.
 3. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 2, wherein said first state is a lower energy state, and said second state is an upper energy state.
 4. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 1, wherein said saturable absorber comprises quantum dots.
 5. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 4, wherein said quantum dots comprise Lead Sulfide.
 6. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 1, further comprising a substrate coupled to said input waveguide, said output waveguide, and said control beam waveguide.
 7. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 4, wherein said saturable absorber comprises cladding coupled to said quantum dots.
 8. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 7, wherein said quantum dots are manufactured using a colloidal growth process.
 9. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 6, wherein said control beam waveguide and said substrate are on a first plane.
 10. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 6, wherein said control beam waveguide is on a first plane and said substrate is on a second plane, wherein said first plane and said second plane are different planes.
 11. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 1, further comprising an optical amplifier coupled to said control beam waveguide.
 12. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 1, further comprising an optical circulator coupled to said input waveguide and said output waveguide.
 13. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 1, wherein said front mirror has a reflectivity between 0 and 1, and said rear mirror has a reflectivity substantially equal to
 1. 14. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 1, wherein said front mirror has a reflectivity greater than 0 and less than 1, and said rear mirror has a reflectivity greater than 0 and less than
 1. 15. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 1, further comprising a pair of control beam mirrors coupled to said saturable absorber.
 16. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 1, further comprising a second output waveguide coupled to said saturable absorber.
 17. A Fabry-Perot optical switch comprising: a saturable absorber; a front mirror coupled to said saturable absorber; a rear mirror coupled to said saturable absorber; a control beam having a first state and a second state coupled to said saturable absorber; and an input beam coupled to said saturable absorber.
 18. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 17, wherein said input beam is absorbed by said saturable absorber when said control beam has said first state, and wherein said input beam passes through said saturable absorber when said control beam has said second state.
 19. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 17, wherein said input beam is absorbed by said saturable absorber when said control beam has said first state, and wherein said input beam is reflected by said saturable absorber when said control beam has said second state.
 20. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 19, wherein in said first state said control beam is substantially off, and wherein in said second state said control beam is substantially on.
 21. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 19, wherein in said first state said control beam is substantially on, and wherein in said second state said control beam is substantially off.
 22. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 19, wherein said saturable absorber comprises a plurality of electrons, and wherein said plurality of electrons are in a lower energy state when said control beam has said first state, and a portion of said plurality of electrons are in a higher energy state when said control beam has said second state.
 23. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 17, wherein said saturable absorber comprises quantum dots.
 24. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 23, wherein said saturable absorber comprises cladding coupled to said quantum dots.
 25. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 24, wherein said quantum dots are manufactured using a colloidal growth process.
 26. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 17, wherein said front mirror has a reflectivity between 0 and 1, and said rear mirror has a reflectivity substantially equal to
 1. 27. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 17, wherein said front mirror has a reflectivity greater than 0 and less than 1, and said rear mirror has a reflectivity greater than 0 and less than
 1. 28. The Fabry-Perot optical switch of claim 17, further comprising a pair of control beam mirrors coupled to said saturable absorber.
 29. A method of switching an optical signal comprising: inputting the optical signal to a saturable absorber surrounded by a cavity formed by at least two mirrors; inputting a control beam having a first state and a second state to the saturable absorber; absorbing the optical signal when the control beam has the first state; and reflecting the optical signal when the control beam has the second state.
 30. The method of claim 29, wherein in said first state said control beam is substantially off, and wherein in said second state said control beam is substantially on.
 31. The method of claim 30, wherein said saturable absorber comprises a plurality of electrons, and wherein said plurality of electrons are in a lower energy state when said control beam has said first state, and a portion of said plurality of electrons are in a higher energy state when said control beam has said second state.
 32. The method of claim 30, wherein said saturable absorber comprises a plurality of electrons, and wherein said plurality of electrons are in a higher energy state when said control beam has said first state, and a portion of said plurality of electrons are in a lower energy state when said control beam has said second state.
 33. The method of claim 29, wherein the saturable absorber comprises quantum dots.
 34. The method of claim 33, wherein said saturable absorber comprises cladding coupled to said quantum dots.
 35. A method of switching an optical signal comprising: inputting the optical signal to a saturable absorber surrounded by a cavity formed by at least two mirrors; inputting a control beam having a first state and a second state to the saturable absorber; absorbing the optical signal when the control beam has the first state; and transmitting the optical signal when the control beam has the second state. 